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Our Blog

Whose Job is It?

By Fr. Jeff | 03/25/2010

In years past the priests and the nuns did most of the work in our parishes.  Now, most parishes have lay staff members who are married with families of their own and we could not do all the ministry we…

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Sloth – The Last of the Seven Deadly Sins

By Fr. Jeff | 03/22/2010

Sloth, in a sense, is laziness but it is not plain laziness.  Catholic Reference Net defines sloth as Sluggishness of soul or boredom because of the exertion necessary for the performance of a good work. The good work may be…

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A Note About Spam

By Fr. Jeff | 03/20/2010

I want to let you know I have been received a significant number of spam comments to this blog.  Of course, I have not allowed those comments to be posted.  Some of the comments have been written beginning with “thanking me” for the…

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Health Care

By Fr. Jeff | 03/18/2010

With the upcoming vote in Congress, health care is at the forefront in the news again.  It is also a “hot topic” within Catholic Conversations ranging from the Facebook page of the NYS Catholic Conference to the United States Bishops’…

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Beauty or Object of Pleasure?

By Fr. Jeff | 03/13/2010

We continue with our discussion of the Seven Deadly Sins.  Today we look at lust.  Lust and love are two different things.  When we love someone we care about their needs.  We do what we can to help them because…

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Public Policy Day

By Fr. Jeff | 03/11/2010

Each year, on the second Tuesday of March, the New York State Catholic Conference holds Public Policy Day.  NYS Catholics are encouraged to come to Albany to advocate for our Catholic Principles.  The Conference selects issues to encourage us to…

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Why Read the Bible?

By Fr. Jeff | 03/07/2010

During this season of Lent, I have been leading a Bible Study in the parish.  We meet after the last Mass on Sunday for about an hour and fifteen minutes to discuss the Sunday readings.  We have only averaged about five…

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Gluttony

By Fr. Jeff | 03/04/2010

Gluttony is defined by www.catholicreference.net as an “inordinate desire for the pleasure connected with food or drink.”  Gluttony is eating or drinking too much.  Eating too much can lead to obesity, heart attacks, and obesity.  Excessive drinking can lead to…

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Greed and Envy

By Fr. Jeff | 03/01/2010

Continuing our look at the Seven Deadly Sins, I turn to greed and envy.  I put these two together because they both seek to have things we do not have.  Greed is to seek what we do not have.  It is…

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Pride

By Fr. Jeff | 02/27/2010

Is pride always a sin? We are to be happy when we do good things.  But what is our attitude when we do good work?  Do we take all the credit without acknowledging those who helped us or without thanking…

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Another Earthquake!

By Fr. Jeff | 02/27/2010

There has been a massive earthquake in Chile.  IT IS 8.8 on the Richter scale with at least 23 aftershocks.  The epicenter of the earthquake is 56 miles northeast of the city of Concepcion.  The death toll is at 85…

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Anger

By Fr. Jeff | 02/25/2010

Continuing our discussion on the seven deadly sins, we turn to anger.  The gospel for tomorrow (Friday, February 26, 2010) speaks of angry.  Jesus refers to the commandment “You shall not kill” and takes it further.  Not only should we…

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The Seven Deadly Sins

By Fr. Jeff | 02/22/2010

We don’t talk much about sin anymore.  The pendulum swung from frequent Confession to occasion, or never, going to the sacrament.  However, sin has not gone away. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines sin as Sin is an offense…

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Lenten Fasting

By Fr. Jeff | 02/20/2010

One of the common practices associated with Lent is fasting.  The readings of the Friday after Ash Wednesday speak of fasting.  The disciples of John come to Jesus and ask why his disciples were not fasting.  He replies that the…

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The Anointing of the Sick

By Fr. Jeff | 02/18/2010

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is not a well-understood sacrament.  Many people who grew up prior to the Second Vatican Council still understand it as “Last Rights.”  Understood as “Last Rights” one would only call for the…

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Doubt

By Fr. Jeff | 02/15/2010

Today’s first reading (Monday-6th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II) comes from James 1:1-11.   James speaks of perseverance and doubt.  We must persevere in faith without doubt. It is easier said than done. When life is going well our faith is…

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State Funding of Catholic Schools

By Fr. Jeff | 02/11/2010

This morning I received an action alert from the NYS Catholic Conference.  This conference works as the public policy arm of the Catholic Bishops in New York State.  This action alert was about funding for mandated programs in Catholic/private schools. …

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The Church in the Future

By Fr. Jeff | 02/08/2010

I just finished reading the book I mentioned before The Future Church by John Allen, Jr.  His concluding chapter includes some discussion of how change happens in the church.  Is the Church slow to change?  Yes; as Allen writes The…

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Experiencing God

By Fr. Jeff | 02/06/2010

I have been reading a book by John Allen, Jr. called The Future Church (2009 Doubleday Press) in which he talks about issues that the Church faces in the 21st century. Today I was reading the chapter on Pentecostalism.  One…

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Martrydom

By Fr. Jeff | 02/06/2010

Today (February 6th) is the Memorial of Paul Miki and Companions who were martyred for their faith in Japan in 1597.  Paul Miki was born in Japan and became a Jesuit priest.  Along with 25 other people (Japanese and Europeans,…

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Quality or Quantity: Which Do You Seek?

By Fr. Jeff | 02/04/2010

Quality or Quantity, which do you seek? Quality or Quantity of what?  I’m talking about prayer.  Today I was reading an article written to priests talking about  people who confess their prayer life isn’t what should it should be.  How…

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A New Article at www.renewaloffaith.org

By Fr. Jeff | 02/01/2010

This year’s issue for the Diocese of Rochester Public Policy Weekend (February 13th/14th) is Comprehensive Immigration Reform.  In preparation for the weekend I have attended a presentation on Immigration Reform and doing some research on my own.  From this work,…

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Why Do We Do Social Ministry?

By Fr. Jeff | 01/31/2010

In my previous blogs on the parish website, I have talked about some of our social ministry efforts at St. Mary’s but I am not sure I have ever talked about why we have a social ministry program. To answer…

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Welcome to Our New Blog

By Fr. Jeff | 01/30/2010

Welcome to all!  This blog is the newest development at www.renewaloffaith.org.  Renewal of Faith has been in existence for some time as a collection of class papers and reflections that I have written.  I have been blogging since September 2008…

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